We have detected that the browser you are using is no longer supported. As a result, some content may not display correctly.
We suggest that you upgrade to the latest version of any of the following browsers:
close notification

With the 29th Africa Cup of Nations upon us, Africa is once again in the limelight – not only in sport, but law too. Record award-winning law firm Adams & Adams has appointed Menzi Maboyi in helping the firm keep ahead in Africa.

About 13 years ago, The Economist Magazine labelled Africa “the hopeless continent” but this has been disproved with the continent experiencing one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world. Investors and multi-nationals are taking a long hard look at long-term reward in Africa, and investing accordingly across the continent.

The continent is rapidly emerging not only as a market driven by commodity and oil prices, but also stable macroeconomic environments with an ever-increasing work force, which is contrary to many other countries in the world, as well as investments from large emerging markets and the continued rise in consumer spending.

Despite political challenges, most African countries have recorded solid improvements including those in legislation, and very notably in intellectual property laws.
With more than a century of intellectual property and other law expertise in South Africa, and over 50 years of the same throughout the rest of the African continent, Adams & Adams’ attorneys is not shy to lay claim to the deserved title of largest intellectual property law firm in the Southern Hemisphere. The firm currently has 10 offices in cities in Africa: Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Angola (ARIPO territories), Mozambique, Burundi, Tanzania, including Zanzibar, and an OAPI office based in Cameroon further advanced plans in place for a further 4 offices in East, Central and West Africa in the coming months. This will bring the total number of offices to 14 – a first for any South African law firm.

Dario Tanziani, the Chairman of the firm says: “Adams & Adams spends significant time and effort in developing IP laws in Africa by assisting African Ministries and Registries in developing their laws and procedures, whilst at the same time working closely with African lawyers in all 54 countries of Africa. This is highlighted by the book the firm recently published – what is believed to be the definitive guide to IP laws in Africa – as well as the first ever of its kind in Africa IP Seminar, hosted by the firm in September last year.

Adams & Adams prides itself on giving clients access to the best IP and law services throughout Africa. In an effort to improve its service offering the firm has appointed Menzi Maboyi as the Africa Practice Manager, based in Pretoria. Menzi is an admitted attorney in Zimbabwe and a former legal advisor to Barclays Bank of Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited and Hunyani Holdings (Pvt) Limited in Zimbabwe. His experience will compliment the activities of Adams & Adams on the African continent as they expand their network of offices across the continent.

Says Simon Brown, partner and chairperson of the firm’s African Strategic Committee: “It has become increasingly important to administer the process of securing our clients IP rights in the countries in where we operate as effectively as possible. We are constantly looking to improve the services we offer to our clients in innovative and effective ways. The appointment of Menzi Maboyi as the Africa Practice Manager gives us the ability to manage the process of securing our clients’ rights with increased effectiveness to ensure that we continue to be the leaders of the IP industry on the African continent.”